Cure for Insomnia
Posted , 3 users are following.
Feel like i need to share this story as a guidance and help for those new sufferer
It is my personal experience, i am not a doctor/professional
But still i feel this might be helpful as THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF TUNNEL
(actually you accidentally build that tunnel!)
The Story:
I suffered from insomnia last November 2018
coincidentally this happened after a period of heavy stress from work
it started really weird, i only slept for 4 hours for the first few nights
then when i try to sleep longer, i basically just sleep for an hour
there were nights that i dont sleep at all
after 2 nights of non sleeping, i suffered from panic attack in the middle of the night
(its like there is a burst of warm in my chest, my heart was racing and i thought i had a heart attack)
The Problem:
Well, like you guys.. i started to find the cure on internet
melatonin/chamomile, taking a bath before sleep, workout at gym...
i am telling you.. nothing seems to be working, it only got worse
the worst thing was when i am dead tired from gym and can't sleep
there were moment i feel like i am going to become zombie
to make matter worse, i went on a group travel to japan/taiwan during these time
as i bought cheap ticket months before and couldnt cancel it
you can imagine i was looking at mount fuji beauty, feeling all dead inside from lack of sleep
The Science:
the back of our mind is BLESSED with amygdala (almond shape size back brain)
this is to make us afraid during danger, fight/flight instinct
these mechanism protect our ancestors from danger such as tiger, storms etc
now can you imagine our ancestor sleeping when there is a tiger, he will be history
therefore an active amygdala basically prioritize survival rather than sleep
but what happen if we subconciously activate it by being in a dangerous situation or so we thought
ask yourself this question, have you been in a stressfull/fearful situation recently?
which trigger your sleeping problem, if you do then
this mean INSOMNIA = OVERACTIVE AMYGDALA
The Solution (WHAT NOT TO DO):
One thing i can tell you is TO STAY THE MOON AWAY FROM PILL
your brain is way stronger than the pill, after a while it became useless
but you become dependent on it
the quality of sleep you get from the pill is fake knockoff version
i mean knockoff version of designer clothing is fine, sleep maybe not so much
Don't bother working out, taking a bath before sleep
some genius was telling me when you take a hot bath before sleep
your body temperature drop which signal to the brain you are falling asleep
its an absolute BS, it only make my sleeping problem worse
just do what you use to do, watch tv, browse internet
if you love to workout then its fine but DO NOT DO IT so you can fall asleep
basically DO NOTHING AT ALL
The Solution (WHAT TO DO):
Just "REST"
When you lay down, don't bother trying to sleep
just think of it as YOU ARE JUST RESTING
Not sleeping is fine, basically you are just trying to conserve energy
I mean its the second best thing after all
if you can't sleep then you gotta REST
Meditation (Breathing)
there is something about meditation
meditation does not mean sitting down and daydreaming
it mean try to focus on your breathing (basically to discipline your mind)
you can look at reserach with monk's amygdala that does meditation
it is basically smaller than average population
something about meditation remove us from anxiety and quieten amygdala
you don't have to sit down for 2 hours meditating every day
15 minutes a day will do
After a few weeks, your anxiety will basically begin to go away
and hopefully you will have a good sleep 😃
*My insomnia went away after 6 months
1 like, 4 replies
ani27336 kent43594
Posted
Hi man,
I am going through tough time for about 2 months. I had a stressful event which caused insomnia. the stressor is long gone. I only sleep 2-3 hours and sometimes 0. I am 22 and healthy but obviously not so good at dealing with stress i realise now.
I have never been an anxious person but this has taken a toll on me and I only think about sleep. Your advice is great, thank you. I am only writing to see if you are still managing to sleep well. It helps reading success stories. Any advice is welcome
kent43594 ani27336
Posted
hello Ani,
sure buddy, better sleep than before: 8 hours on best day
but sure i do get 4-5 hours sleep sometimes
although my anxiety has evolved into something else more sinister (another topic)
notice what you said "I only think about sleep"
this one you have to correct as in try doing something else (pick up new hobby)
and try not to be afraid of not-sleeping (basically ACCEPTANCE)
the moment you do that, then this problem will go away
its like taking a dump, you have no say so might as well accept it
just lay down and rest, dont worry about it
its in your blood, your ancestors been doing it for like a billion years
so its not like a sudden lost ability
you should be fine although it will take a while (a few months) to get back to normal
ani27336 kent43594
Posted
Thank you. I am getting so anxious lately im not sleeping at all.
Did you experience anxiety or depression symptoms? My doctor wants me take mirtazapine but i know its such a horrible drug. I cant let go of the thoughts that my life has been destroyed by this. How happy and healthy i was before worrying over sth stupid!
Should i try CBT? The whole problem is my thoughts and i am losing hope each day. I dont know what to do.
kent43594 ani27336
Posted
yeah, anxiety contribute to insomnia (overactive amygdala)
one evidence is people find it hard to sleep when they have flight to catch the next morning
due to fear of missing flight
once way to cure this is to meditate (let go of your thought, focus on breathing or sound)
do this for 20 minutes daily
CBT does help as well so i recommend this
"How happy and healthy i was before worrying over sth stupid!"
my friend, in life we will face hardship and more problem will arise as we get older
the key is to learn to accept and handle it, with it we will become more mature and better
unfortunately with insomnia
once you have it, you will have it for life. this is due to the memory embedded in your mind
but its manageable with the right thinking and frame of mind